Psychedelic Medicine Effectively Treats PTSD and Depression with Dane Stevens Optimi Health TRANSCRIPT

Dane Stevens, Founder, CEO, and Director at Optimi Health, a Canadian company that manufactures MDMA and naturally derived psilocybin from mushrooms for use in therapy for PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. These psychedelic-based mental health treatments are being used in the regulated market in Australia and in Special Access programs in Canada, and showing real-world evidence of a positive impact. Dane emphasizes the importance of a clinical setting for the administration of psychedelic medicines and integration with traditional therapy. Dane explains, "We exist to support the responsible use of psychedelic medicines within regulated healthcare systems. We are a manufacturer of both MDMA and psilocybin, and our company exports those products to the only truly regulated market in the world right now, which is Australia. There, our MDMA is being prescribed for PTSD, and our psilocybin, naturally derived psilocybin extract, is being prescribed for treatment-resistant depression. And so we're not your classic drug developer. We're on a mission to be in the clinic and inpatient today, and that's where we are."   "Right now, they're still scheduled substances, but in Canada specifically, you have what's called the Special Access Program, where if you're suffering from end-of-life distress or PTSD in a very serious way or treatment-resistant depression, you can apply directly to the health minister for an exemption to access psychedelics. But they are still scheduled and restricted." "If you're looking at just the Australian model in Australia, they rescheduled specifically MDMA for the use in PTSD treatment. Specifically, around psilocybin, it's only to be used for treatment-resistant depression. And so, when we, as a company, actually export directly from Canada to Australia, the permits say it's only to be used within that framework. So it's not a take-home medicine, it's all done within the guidance of your healthcare professional at the clinic." #OptimiHealth #PsychedelicMedicine #MentalHealth #PTSD #Depression #Innovation #Healthcare #Australia #TreatmentResistantDepression #Psilocybin #MDMA #PsilocybinTherapy #MDMATherapy #MentalHealthInnovation #FDAApproval #HealthPolicy #CanadaHealth #ClinicalResearch #RealWorldEvidence optimihealth.ca Listen to the podcast here  

Dane Stevens, Founder, CEO, and Director at Optimi Health, a Canadian company that manufactures MDMA and naturally derived psilocybin from mushrooms for use in therapy for PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. These psychedelic-based mental health treatments are being used in the regulated market in Australia and in Special Access programs in Canada, and showing real-world evidence of a positive impact. Dane emphasizes the importance of a clinical setting for the administration of psychedelic medicines and integration with traditional therapy. Dane explains, "We exist to support the responsible use of psychedelic medicines within regulated healthcare systems. We are a manufacturer of both MDMA and psilocybin, and our company exports those products to the only truly regulated market in the world right now, which is Australia. There, our MDMA is being prescribed for PTSD, and our psilocybin, naturally derived psilocybin extract, is being prescribed for treatment-resistant depression. And so we're not your classic drug developer. We're on a mission to be in the clinic and inpatient today, and that's where we are."   "Right now, they're still scheduled substances, but in Canada specifically, you have what's called the Special Access Program, where if you're suffering from end-of-life distress or PTSD in a very serious way or treatment-resistant depression, you can apply directly to the health minister for an exemption to access psychedelics. But they are still scheduled and restricted." "If you're looking at just the Australian model in Australia, they rescheduled specifically MDMA for the use in PTSD treatment. Specifically, around psilocybin, it's only to be used for treatment-resistant depression. And so, when we, as a company, actually export directly from Canada to Australia, the permits say it's only to be used within that framework. So it's not a take-home medicine, it's all done within the guidance of your healthcare professional at the clinic." #OptimiHealth #PsychedelicMedicine #MentalHealth #PTSD #Depression #Innovation #Healthcare #Australia #TreatmentResistantDepression #Psilocybin #MDMA #PsilocybinTherapy #MDMATherapy #MentalHealthInnovation #FDAApproval #HealthPolicy #CanadaHealth #ClinicalResearch #RealWorldEvidence optimihealth.ca Download the transcript here  

Renzo Luzzatti, Founder and CEO of US-Rx Care, discusses the role and practice of the Pharmacy Benefits Managers and the advantages of working with a company that uses a fiduciary model. Inherent conflicts of interest in the traditional PBM model, such as manufacturer rebates and requirements to use PBM-owned pharmacies, drive up prescription drug costs. US-Rx Care eliminates these conflicts by charging a flat administrative fee, with its sole incentive to lower drug costs for the plan and its members. Renxo explains, "We've been around since 2007. We do have about 5 million lives under management, both self-funded employers, which is the bulk of our business. Then we also tap into Medicare health plans and have some programs and offerings that we assist there to lower costs and improve the quality of care. Our approach is unique in that we've taken a fiduciary stance from day one. We can talk about that in a little bit. It is a legal term. It's defined under ERISA, which governs health plans. They have a fiduciary duty to the plan, the members, and the management of the plan assets. And the industry as a whole has shied away from any fiduciary obligation whatsoever, in part because it's rife with conflicts of interest, and you cannot have conflicts of interest as a fiduciary."   "That is really at the core of all of the issues and complaints that we're hearing about PBMs - they're driving up the cost of prescriptions rather than having the intended effect, which is to reduce the cost of prescriptions. And I would say in the last four or five years, employers have really started to ask the right questions because they're becoming more and more educated."   "For folks like us, we're growing like crazy because the industry finally gets that. The deal that they were getting through their traditional model is not so good. The other thing is when we move to a fiduciary model, savings are typically in the realm of 30% to 50% in the first year, and then we typically see additional savings in year two and three, and then after that, the goal and the intent, which we've been successful at, is to keep costs stable."  #USRxCare #PBM #PharmacyBenefits #EmployeeBenefits #HealthcareCosts #FiduciaryResponsibility #BenefitsConsulting #HealthcareTransparency #CostContainment #SelfFundedEmployers #HealthcareReform usrxcare.com Listen to the podcast here 

Renzo Luzzatti, Founder and CEO of US-Rx Care, discusses the role and practice of the Pharmacy Benefits Managers and the advantages of working with a company that uses a fiduciary model. Inherent conflicts of interest in the traditional PBM model, such as manufacturer rebates and requirements to use PBM-owned pharmacies, drive up prescription drug costs. US-Rx Care eliminates these conflicts by charging a flat administrative fee with its sole incentive to lower drug costs for the plan and its members. Renxo explains, "We've been around since 2007. We do have about 5 million lives under management, both self-funded employers, which is the bulk of our business. Then we also tap into Medicare health plans and have some programs and offerings that we assist there to lower costs and improve the quality of care. Our approach is unique in that we've taken a fiduciary stance from day one. We can talk about that in a little bit. It is a legal term. It's defined under ERISA, which governs health plans. They have a fiduciary duty to the plan, the members, and the management of the plan assets. And the industry as a whole has shied away from any fiduciary obligation whatsoever, in part because it's rife with conflicts of interest, and you cannot have conflicts of interest as a fiduciary."   "That is really at the core of all of the issues and complaints that we're hearing about PBMs - they're driving up the cost of prescriptions rather than having the intended effect, which is to reduce the cost of prescriptions. And I would say in the last four or five years, employers have really started to ask the right questions because they're becoming more and more educated."   "For folks like us, we're growing like crazy because the industry finally gets that. The deal that they were getting through their traditional model is not so good. The other thing is when we move to a fiduciary model, savings are typically in the realm of 30% to 50% in the first year, and then we typically see additional savings in year two and three, and then after that, the goal and the intent, which we've been successful at, is to keep costs stable."  #USRxCare #PBM #PharmacyBenefits #EmployeeBenefits #HealthcareCosts #FiduciaryResponsibility #BenefitsConsulting #HealthcareTransparency #CostContainment #SelfFundedEmployers #HealthcareReform usrxcare.com Download the transcript here 

Kory Daniels, Chief Security and Trust Officer at LevelBlue, discusses the multifaceted cybersecurity challenges in the healthcare industry and the risks posed by legacy systems not designed for secure internet connectivity. Artificial intelligence is being used successfully to defend against cyber attacks, while threat actors are using AI without ethical constraints to launch sophisticated attacks. Managing cybersecurity includes using digital twins to model vulnerabilities and to develop strategies for identity and access management for human and non-human identities, such as robots and AI agents.  Kory explains, "We must recognize that we're not starting from a clean slate - we have a lot of decades-old systems operating both within the physical footprint of the healthcare and hospital facility and in record retention and data management. Many organizations are looking at how to get ahead in identifying what needs to happen to embrace new technology and much of the innovation. At the same time, being conscious and cognizant of opportunities to retrofit, taking what's there already today and making it internet-connected as an example, making it Internet of Things-connected so that devices that weren't purpose-built to communicate to the internet now can communicate to the internet, but it creates some risks and it poses some challenges."   "We highlighted that some of these legacy systems or initial systems that have been in the organization for years, some 10 years or more, were not necessarily purpose-built or designed at the time of manufacturing, nor with the software needed for those tools to operate with current speed, expectations, and requirements. Healthcare entities are engaging both patients and supporting care doctors and patient care professionals in 2026 and beyond."  #LevelBlue #HealthcareCybersecurity #DigitalTransformation #AIinHealthcare #LegacySystems #PatientSafety #CyberThreats #HealthTech #DataSecurity #MedicalDevices #DigitalHealth #HealthcareIT #CyberDefense #HealthcareInnovation #RiskManagement #ComplianceMatters LevelBlue.com Listen to the podcast here

Kory Daniels, Chief Security and Trust Officer at LevelBlue, discusses the multifaceted cybersecurity challenges in the healthcare industry and the risks posed by legacy systems not designed for secure internet connectivity. Artificial intelligence is being used successfully to defend against cyber attacks, while threat actors are using AI without ethical constraints to launch sophisticated attacks. Managing cybersecurity includes using digital twins to model vulnerabilities and to develop strategies for identity and access management for human and non-human identities, such as robots and AI agents.  Kory explains, "We must recognize that we're not starting from a clean slate - we have a lot of decades-old systems operating both within the physical footprint of the healthcare and hospital facility and in record retention and data management. Many organizations are looking at how to get ahead in identifying what needs to happen to embrace new technology and much of the innovation. At the same time, being conscious and cognizant of opportunities to retrofit, taking what's there already today and making it internet-connected as an example, making it Internet of Things-connected so that devices that weren't purpose-built to communicate to the internet now can communicate to the internet, but it creates some risks and it poses some challenges."   "We highlighted that some of these legacy systems or initial systems that have been in the organization for years, some 10 years or more, were not necessarily purpose-built or designed at the time of manufacturing, nor with the software needed for those tools to operate with current speed, expectations, and requirements. Healthcare entities are engaging both patients and supporting care doctors and patient care professionals in 2026 and beyond."  #LevelBlue #HealthcareCybersecurity #DigitalTransformation #AIinHealthcare #LegacySystems #PatientSafety #CyberThreats #HealthTech #DataSecurity #MedicalDevices #DigitalHealth #HealthcareIT #CyberDefense #HealthcareInnovation #RiskManagement #ComplianceMatters LevelBlue.com Download the transcript here

Chase Idleman, Chief Executive Officer of Arlow, is leveraging emerging AgeTech and the longevity economy to develop solutions for an aging population, their families, and caregivers. With a human-centered approach to the entire aging process, Arlow uses AI to create a system for action for adults over 65 and their support networks. The main goal is to make tasks like care coordination, document management, medication adherence, and detecting changes in behavior and physical abilities easier. Chase explains, "AgeTech is more around the people in the population. So if you look at aging, it is not one point in time, but is truly a continuum and impacts so many people. It's not just the person who's aging, but also the family members and the entire circle of care around them. So, AgeTech is that kind of emerging field, which is how I try to differentiate it. Again, it's not product-centric, but it is really human-centric over a continuum of time."   "What we felt was the biggest opportunity was not only creating a solution for older adults, but creating a solution for the circle of care, the people every single day who are helping those older adults. And in parallel, we really started to lean in on this employer front with the workforce. So in the workforce environment, it's pretty interesting, 25% of FMLA is for caregiving. And right now, there's not a ton of solutions that can support them. So those workers are essentially the circle of care." #Arlow #AgeTech #AI #Healthcare #Aging #Innovation #DigitalHealth #Longevity #Caregiving #HealthTech #SeniorCare #FamilyCaregivers #CaregiverBurnout #OlderAdults #EmployeeBenefits #EmployeeAssistantPrograms Arlow.ai Listen to the podcast here

Chase Idleman, Chief Executive Officer of Arlow, is leveraging emerging AgeTech and the longevity economy to develop solutions for an aging population, their families, and caregivers. With a human-centered approach to the entire aging process, Arlow uses AI to create a system for action for adults over 65 and their support networks. The main goal is to make tasks like care coordination, document management, medication adherence, and detecting changes in behavior and physical abilities easier. Chase explains, "AgeTech is more around the people in the population. So if you look at aging, it is not one point in time, but is truly a continuum and impacts so many people. It's not just the person who's aging, but also the family members and the entire circle of care around them. So, AgeTech is that kind of emerging field, which is how I try to differentiate it. Again, it's not product-centric, but it is really human-centric over a continuum of time."   "What we felt was the biggest opportunity was not only creating a solution for older adults, but creating a solution for the circle of care, the people every single day who are helping those older adults. And in parallel, we really started to lean in on this employer front with the workforce. So in the workforce environment, it's pretty interesting, 25% of FMLA is for caregiving. And right now, there's not a ton of solutions that can support them. So those workers are essentially the circle of care." #Arlow #AgeTech #AI #Healthcare #Aging #Innovation #DigitalHealth #Longevity #Caregiving #HealthTech #SeniorCare #FamilyCaregivers #CaregiverBurnout #OlderAdults #EmployeeBenefits #EmployeeAssistantPrograms Arlow.ai Download the transcript here

Dr. Ivan Horak, Founder and CEO of Tikva Allocell, is focused on next-generation allogeneic cell therapies using modified T-cells from healthy donors to make these therapies more scalable, accessible, and affordable. Using virus-specific T-cells, this approach is showing effectiveness against solid tumors, which are difficult for traditional CAR-T therapies to treat. The primary target is an antigen found particularly in Epstein-Barr virus-associated malignancies and is showing potential for treating autoimmune diseases as well as cancer. Ivan explains, "Cell therapy has a long history. We started with many scientists, but probably the godfather of the technology, Zelig Eshhar, who's not with us anymore. He passed away last year. The idea behind that was to use patient cells and modify them and use them as a fighter against the cancer. But over time, we realized over the last two decades that it's very useful, very successful in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, but it's very expensive and labor-intensive. The question was how to enhance this technology and bring it to more patients in a friendly and affordable way." "The second generation are therapies where we are using healthy people's cells, primarily T-cells, but can be NK cells, can be gamma-delta T-cells. And these cells are being modified, and they are infused into a patient. The advantage of this technology is that patients are identified, and the provider can request the cell from different biotechnology companies, which can be available within the next few days, because from one healthy donor, you can make multiple doses for patients."  #TikvaAllocell #CellTherapy #CancerResearch #Immunotherapy #Biotechnology #Biotech #Innovation #ClinicalTrials #AllogeneicTherapy #Allogeneic #SolidTumors #NextGenTherapy #PrecisionMedicine #CellTherapy #CART #Oncology #ImmuneOncology #CellandGeneTherapy tikvaallocell.com Listen to the podcast here

Dr. Ivan Horak, Founder and CEO of Tikva Allocell, is focused on next-generation allogeneic cell therapies using modified T-cells from healthy donors to make these therapies more scalable, accessible, and affordable. Using virus-specific T-cells, this approach is showing effectiveness against solid tumors, which are difficult for traditional CAR-T therapies to treat. The primary target is an antigen found particularly in Epstein-Barr virus-associated malignancies and is showing potential for treating autoimmune diseases as well as cancer. Ivan explains, "Cell therapy has a long history. We started with many scientists, but probably the godfather of the technology, Zelig Eshhar, who's not with us anymore. He passed away last year. The idea behind that was to use patient cells and modify them and use them as a fighter against the cancer. But over time, we realized over the last two decades that it's very useful, very successful in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, but it's very expensive and labor-intensive. The question was how to enhance this technology and bring it to more patients in a friendly and affordable way." "The second generation are therapies where we are using healthy people's cells, primarily T-cells, but can be NK cells, can be gamma-delta T-cells. And these cells are being modified, and they are infused into a patient. The advantage of this technology is that patients are identified, and the provider can request the cell from different biotechnology companies, which can be available within the next few days, because from one healthy donor, you can make multiple doses for patients."  #TikvaAllocell #CellTherapy #CancerResearch #Immunotherapy #Biotechnology #Biotech #Innovation #ClinicalTrials #AllogeneicTherapy #Allogeneic #SolidTumors #NextGenTherapy #PrecisionMedicine #CellTherapy #CART #Oncology #ImmuneOncology #CellandGeneTherapy tikvaallocell.com Download the transcript here